ISLAMABAD: The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly held its 12th General Assembly meeting to deliberate on the alarming rise in incidents of honour killings and honour-based violence in Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament, representatives of key government institutions, and stakeholders working on women’s rights and access to justice.
Opening the session, Dr Shahida Rehmani, Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, emphasized that honour killings remain one of the gravest forms of violence against women and require a stronger and more coordinated state response.
Dr Rehmani stated that while important legislative reforms have been introduced over the years, implementation challenges continue to persist. She stressed the need to further strengthen the legal framework governing honour crimes and ensure that perpetrators do not escape accountability through social, familial, or procedural pressures.
She particularly highlighted the need for a more proactive role of the State in prosecuting such crimes, noting that in many cases the victim’s family may be unwilling, intimidated, or unable to pursue justice. *”Honour killing is not a private family matter; it is a crime against the State and society. We need to examine how the Government can play a stronger role as a party in such cases to ensure that justice is not compromised when victims’ families are unable to pursue legal remedies,”* Dr Rehmani said.
The Caucus received a detailed briefing from the Secretary, Ministry of Human Rights, who presented the Government’s ongoing efforts to prevent and respond to honour killings and other forms of gender-based violence. The briefing highlighted legislative reforms, institutional mechanisms, protection services, public awareness initiatives, the Human Rights Helpline (1099), women protection centres, capacity-building of law enforcement agencies, and ongoing efforts to strengthen monitoring and reporting systems.
The Secretary, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) also briefed members on the Commission’s proposed National Strategy for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and So-Called Honour Crimes against Women.
The strategy proposes a comprehensive whole-of-society approach aimed at addressing the root causes of violence through legal reform, accountability mechanisms, education, religious engagement, community resilience, responsible media practices, and strengthened justice-sector responses.
Members of the Caucus expressed concern over the continued prevalence of honour-based violence and underscored the importance of effective implementation of existing laws, enhanced coordination among federal and provincial institutions, improved survivor and witness protection mechanisms, and greater parliamentary oversight of institutional responses.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing legislative and policy reforms that strengthen women’s rights, eliminate impunity for honour-based crimes, and ensure that women and girls across Pakistan can live with dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law.
The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus resolved to continue engaging with relevant institutions to identify legal and policy gaps and promote measures that ensure swift justice, stronger accountability, and effective protection for women and girls vulnerable to violence. –Agencies
